A Dukes County Grand jury last month indicted Carlos Stevenson, owner of Mosher Photo in Vineyard Haven, on multiple charges of molesting and raping a child more than a decade ago.
The grand jury returned five separate indictments of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, and one indictment of aggravated rape of a child with force. According to the indictments, the allegations stem from incidents that began in 2001.
Mr. Stevenson entered not guilty pleas on all charges, during his arraignment in Dukes County Superior Court on October 20. He remains free on $9,000 bail.
On July 14, Mr. Stevenson was arraigned on charges stemming from the same case in Edgartown District Court. There he faced 11 separate counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of rape of a child by force. The Cape and Island District Attorney notified the District Court this week that it would not move forward with those District Court charges because of the indictment, which effectively moves the case to Superior Court.
Prosecutors often seek indictments in order to give judges an option for longer prison sentences. In District Court, jail sentences are limited to a maximum of 2.5 years.
The penalty for aggravated rape of a child by force ranges from a minimum of 15 years in state prison, to life in prison. The penalty for indecent assault and battery is up to 10 years in state prison on each charge.
At the District Court arraignment in July, Cape and Islands assistant district attorney Laura Marshard told the court that the allegations stem from a period of stalking and sexual contact which began when the victim was 10 years old, and continued for several years.
An attorney for Mr. Stevenson said at that July arraignment that there is no physical evidence of a crime, that he maintains his innocence, and that the charges are incompatible with his record as an Island businessman.